Man Gets Prison Sentence In Catawba County

A Vale man received a prison sentence of up to a decade along with a large fine in a case involving drug trafficking and an altercation with police that resulted in a deputy sustaining injuries. 29-year-old Daniel Austin Rhoney was sentenced to serve eight to ten years in prison following his conviction for trafficking fentanyl and resisting a public officer. Rhoney entered a guilty plea during Catawba County Superior Court and received his sentence last Wednesday (September 17).

The Honorable Peter Knight, Superior Court Judge from Henderson County, imposed terms of the active sentence after Rhoney entered a guilty plea, along with a mandatory fine of $750,000. Rhoney was the passenger in a vehicle during a traffic stop on March 25, 2025. He was not wearing a seat belt, initially gave a fake name and seemed fidgety. When the deputy tried to detain him, Rhoney pushed him aside and ran away. When the deputy caught up to him, a scuffle followed, and the deputy suffered multiple injuries before Rhoney was subdued.

A search of the vehicle led to seizure of a bag that contained multiple baggies of illegal substances inside it. The defendant told investigators the bag belonged to him. The State Crime Lab confirmed the substances to be a trafficking amount of fentanyl. The female driver of the vehicle and a co-defendant have charges still pending.

Ryan Hamby and Samuel Helms handled the investigation for the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant District Attorney Taylor Rockett prosecuted the matter for the State with aid from Legal Assistant Britnee Ulsamer.

Story: Rob Eastwood-WHKY